Saturday, November 26, 2016

Bumper load of new viruses identified

Research
teams from Australia and China have discovered almost 1,500 new viruses. Yes,
that’s right: 1,500. These viruses were found in invertebrates. These viruses
may have been around for billions of years.

Investigating
invertebrates for new viral species is something that is not commonly a focus
for virologists. Usually, the study of viruses focuses on viruses causing
human, animal, or plant diseases. The international research team decided to
look into invertebrates, which include spiders, insects, worms, and snails.

The
research team studied the RNA of 220 species of invertebrates living in China.
The RNA was sequenced, analyzing a whopping 6 trillion letters present in the
invertebrate RNA libraries. After analyzing the data they collected, the team
realized it discovered nearly 1,500 new virus species, so distinct that they
could not fit within the currently established viral family tree.

This
study has been one of the largest virus discoveries and could lead to many
changes in the virus phylogeny. These newly discovered viruses do not seem to
pose a significant risk to humans according to these researchers, but we should
still look into this possibility. This could lead to better understanding and
prediction of emerging viruses from invertebrates.